What is the term for the written ruling that expresses the majority's view in an appellate decision?

• A. Dissenting opinion
• B. Concurring opinion
• C. Majority opinion
• D. Ruling

Answer: (C)

Understanding how appellate decisions are documented and which opinion carries the court’s ruling is the key idea here. The majority opinion is the written ruling that expresses the view of the majority of judges deciding the case; it lays out the facts, the legal issues, and the reasoning that leads to the decision, and it serves as the court’s official ruling that becomes binding precedent in the jurisdiction. Dissenting opinions are written by judges who disagree with the majority and do not control the outcome, while concurring opinions are written by judges who agree with the result but want to add or emphasize different reasoning. A ruling is a general term and doesn’t specify that it’s the majority’s view.